How to make Michelada

If you’ve read my blog at all, then you know that last year I lived in Mexico for a year. While I was there, my Mexican pal Oscar taught me how to make a Michelada. It’s not one of those recipes that you can find on the internet. It’s a the genuine Michelada recipe, taught in the Michelada birthplace, Mexico, by a Mexican.

Selected Posts from Brad’s Past

We found a few posts, videos and stories from Brad’s past, and thought it would be fun to re-publish them here.  So pour yourself a cup of coffee, put on some classic rock, and check out this classic blog post from a decade (ish) ago.  

For those of you who don’t like videos, or simply found it confusing, here is the recipe.

How to Make a Michelada

Michelada Recipe

Ingredients:

Limes (You’ll need a ton!)
Jugo Maggi
Pacifico or Corona (Doesn’t matter which one)
Tajin (A mixture of salt, lime flavoring and chile powder)
Clamato (optional)
Salsa Inglesa
Hot Sauce.   (Also optional.)   Use Valentino brand…not the American Tobasco.  They taste different.   I like a couple of drops.  My pal Oscar doesn’t like any.)
Beer.   Oscar thinks you should use Pacifico or Corona.  But we’ve made them with a darker Negro Modelo and they are pretty tasty with that too.

Note: In Mexcio, most of these ingredients were pretty easy to find. But here in the States, it’s a wee bit trickier. I’m guessing that you could find any of these ingredients in a Mexican market or store. Go track one down and buy this stuff.  You’ll be glad you did.  Seriously, I cannot imagine a Michelada without the Tajin. It just plain sucks. Find Tajin!!! The lime juice and the Jugo Maggi and the Salsa Inglesa are pretty important.   But the Tajin is crucial. Or some substitute brand. Tajin is simply the most  common brand of the dried chili, dehydrated lime and salt mixture.  There are many other brands, but they’re all good.

Make your Michelada

First, salt your Michelada glass, except use Tajin. Cut a lime and rub it around the rim of your glass.  Then pour a bunch of Tajin (the chili / salt / dehydrated lime mixture) on a small plate.  Invert your glass and rub the wet rim in the tajin, making it stick.

Add the juice of 2 or three small limes, or perhaps 1 larger lime.  Lime juice is crucial, and it has to be fresh. You need more juice than you think.  Now add some more.

Add a couple of Shakes of Salsa Inglesia. And a couple of shakes of Jugo Maggi. This is a “to taste” sort of thing.  I like to add extra Maggi.  But really, it’s up to you.

If you like, add some Clamato.  (But only if you like Clamato.) Just about 1/3 of a cup.   It’s a to taste thing, again.  Go for it if you like more.  Less?  Fine!  Not at all…. sure, no problem. It doesn’t matter. Do what your taste buds like. I like it with Clamato. Oscar doesn’t.

(I’ve seen the difference of “chelada” and “michelada” described as with or without the Clamato.  My my pal Oscar, who was born in and lived in Mexico City for 20+ years thinks they are both Micheladas.  So who am I to doubt him?)

Add ice.  A bunch of ice. A lot of ice. Trust me. It’s good with ice.

Fill your glass up with beer.

Add a couple of pinches of Tajin.

Stir it up.  Drink it up.

Repeat as needed.

Finally:  You need the Jugo Maggi, the Salsa Inglesa, and especially the Tajin!  It’s worth the trip.  It will make your michelada genuine.  And most important, it’ll make it tasty!

Cheers!  Salud!

See the how to make a michelada recipe video on YouTube

Leave comments with questions or results.

Brad Montgomery
Motivational Speaker, Friend of Oscar Montes de Oca, Lover of Micheladas